ghd Curve - Classic Curl

I mentioned these in a wish list post a little while back and my wonderful Mum was kind enough to get me them for Christmas so it's only right that I do a review post for you lovely people! 

First of all they came in this beautiful black and rose gold packaging which I absolutely love. The roll that they are wrapped up in is really clever as well - it has a heat resistant mat included which is detachable should you want to make the packaging smaller for packing away. 

 Now onto the reason that I so desperately wanted these beauties! My hair is naturally very flat, straight and stubborn. It doesn't like to do anything other thank lie straight with no volume or excitement whatsoever. I've always loved the way my hair looks when its curled but it never lasts longer than about an hour before it drops out, even with half a can of hair spray! In the past I've used various other curling wands, tongs and straighteners but none of them really worked...until now!! It took me a while to master the technique but now that I have...

*TA DAAA* These curls didn't only stay put all night but for the whole next day too! This is completely unheard of for my hair and I'm super excited that I have a solution to my stubborn hair problems!(I promise I was excited even though my face in this picture doesn't look like it - I was too busy concentrating on how good my hair looked). 

I cannot recommend these curlers enough they are my new favourite thing! the ghd Curve range comes in 4 different styles, these are the Classic Curl variety and they did exactly what it said on the tin so I'm pretty sure the others would give the results they promise too. They are a little pricey but for me they are definitely worth it.

Do you use any of the ghd Curve range? What do you think of them? Let me know in the comments below!

Take care ♥

Holiday haulin'

After a bit of a break from blogging for the holidays I'm back with lots of new beauty purchases to share with you all! Some of this lovely lot were gifts for Christmas and some were bought out of Christmas money/student loan (oops!). So anyway, here are the new additions to my beauty collection..

I've arranged this is sections so it's easier to follow!

Eyes

1.Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette - My absolute favourite new addition, regarded as the only palette you'll ever need with 20 beautiful colours. Watch out for a blog post dedicated just to this in the near future!

2. Rimmel London Scandaleyes Gel Eyeliner - Love this product! It comes with its own little brush which is handy and has an intense black colour which I love for eyeliners.

3. Benefit They're Real Mascara - There's a lot of hype around this mascara and although I do like it I wont be running out to buy it again as it's pricey and I don't think it gives results which are much better than other mascaras I've used. I do like it but not a new favourite I'm afraid!

Face Base

1. Garnier BB Cream in Light - This is a great, moisturising BB cream with a light but lasting coverage. Great for lighter makeup days 

2. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Punjab - This was another splash out and again a product with lots of hype but I have to say I love this foundation! It gives good coverage with a lovely finish.

3. MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW15 - This is my staple nicer foundation for evenings out or occasions and it recently run out so this is the replacement! It remains a good solid favourite of mine.

4. Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer in Classic Beige- Another staple which run out and needed replacing instantly! Conceals well and brightens up dark circles for a fresher looking face.

Nails

1. Illamasqua Speckle Nail Varnish - This was bought in the sale at about a third of the usual price and although I love the colour and pattern I wouldn't buy it at full price; it chipped fairly quickly and needed 3 coats to provide a good colour but it's easy to wear with lots of different outfits. 

Lips

1. MAC lipstick in Twig - This is a real new favourite of mine, it goes with almost any makeup look and can be worn in the day time or at night. It feels moisturising on the lips and provides a strong lasting colour. Watch out for this one in lots of makeup looks in the future!

2. Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick in Rose Millésime - I already have one lipstick from this range and was very impressed with it so I decided I needed another! This colour is a lovely coraly rose that I can see being a favourite moving into spring.

3. NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien - This is another beautiful versitile lip shade that I can see being used a lot! And the product definitely lives up to its reputation in quality and colour and I can wait to use it with loads of different looks.

So there you have it, my holiday haul full of products I can't wait to use. Have you used any of these products? What did you think of them? Let me know in the comments below.

Take care ♥

Eyelash trials

As I've mentioned before I'm a big fan of fake eyelashes. They really finish off any look and if your eyelashes are a bit rubbish like mine you'll appreciate any help you can get! So I tried out 4 different types of eyelashes to try and find a new favourite and here is the outcome...

1. Eyelure Volume No. 107

These lashes give quite a dramatic look and are perfect for a night out. They are quite bold so if you are feeling brave these are the ones for you! They give your lashes length, curl and and perfect outer corner flick.

2. Eyelure Texture No. 154

These lashes give a great effect without so much drama. They add (as the name suggests) texture to your natural lashes making them appear thicker and longer. These don't have such a flick and are a little more wearable.

3. Tanya Burr Everyday Flutter Corner Lashes

The first time I tried these lashes I was really pleased with the result. They give a much more natural look while still enhancing your natural lashes and adding a lovely outer corner flick to finish off your look. They were also super easy to apply and blended in with my natural lashes well.

4. Eyelure Pro-Lash Individuals

Individuals are great at appearing natural whilst also being impressive! They take a littler bit of practice and a bit longer to apply but once you have the knack they are a great way of being able to customise your lashes and fill in any areas that need extra help!

All in all I think all lashes look great but my new favourites have to be Tanya Burr's Everyday Flutter!

What are your favourite lashes? Do you change your look for different occasions? Let me know in the comments below.

Take care ♥

Annie's Burger Shack

On the weekend my Mum came to visit me so I took her to one of Nottingham's most popular eating places - Annie's Burger Shack. I'm pretty sure that this is a one off and not part of a chain so unfortunately if you're not near Nottingham you wont be able to just pop in but if you are it is well worth a visit!

The menu has a wide selection of amazing burgers with a variety of toppings. All of the burgers can be made meaty, vegetarian or vegan which I think is a great bonus meaning that most people can find something they really like here.

The burgers are really tasty, mine had bacon, cheese and a hash brown as a topping (yes there was a whole has brown in my burger and it was incredible) and my Mum's had a bacon and blue cheese topping. The sweet potato fries pictured in the bottom picture above are £1 extra but well worth it in my opinion.

I also had a milkshake (these can also be made vegan) which was really nice and the whole atmosphere is really just friendly. This little pot on our table had trivial pursuit cards in it which I thought was a really nice touch! The staff are all lovely and its just a really great place for lunch or dinner.

I would definitely recommend Annie's if you live near enough to try it but try and book before hand as they can get very busy and are often fully booked. 

Have you been to Annie's before? Is there anywhere similar where you live? Let me know in the comments below.

Take care ♥

Skincare top tips

After my skincare routine post, I thought I should share my top tips of skincare and how to stick to a routine to share some of the rules that I try to stick to so here they are...

1. If nothing else, always moisturise. If you don't want a big skin care routine then just moisturise every night, I find this is the step that makes the biggest difference for me and also creates the nicest base for applying make up. This is especially important in the upcoming winter months.

2. Always remove your make up. This is an old chestnut but is great advice, leaving your make up on will clog up your pores and cause all sorts of problems so just take it off!

3. Stick at your routine for best results. It can be boring but just stick at it. One week wont make the world of difference but 3/4 weeks down the line you will be thanking yourself for sticking at it.

4. You will still get spots, don't give up. Even if you look after your skin really well you will still most likely get some spots. What you will probably find however, is that they disappear quicker and leave less of a mark which is always a bonus!

5. Have a lazy option. There will always be a night that you just want to get into bed and not do anything else so my advice is to always have a lazy option, this is mine...

Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion cleanses and moisturises in one so I can just dollop this on my face and go to sleep! It doesn't work as well as the whole routine but is ok to do every now and then!

What are your top tips for skincare? Let me know in the comments :)

Take care ♥

My skincare routine

Today I'm sharing with you all my skincare essentials which I feel have worked best for me! The products that I've been using recently are...

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - this is amazing at removing make up it just melts it off without needing to rub or drag your skin and leaves your skin feeling properly clean.

Benefit Foamingly Clean Facial Wash - I use a facial wash every evening and this is by far the best I have used. It leaves your skin feeling so soft and clean and I would definitely recommend it. It is however on the more pricey side so I switch between this one and the next product just to save a bit of money.

Simple Moisturising Facial Wash - this is a really nice gentle facial wash which also foams and cleanses the skin. It definitely does it's job and is great for more sensitive skin.

Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub - I sometimes find some exfoliating products a bit harsh on my skin so this one was an ideal choice for me. It smooths the skin without the feeling of damaging or breaking that I sometimes get with other products. I exfoliate my whole face once a week apart from the oily areas which I do twice a week. I tend to do my whole face around midweek and the oily areas again at the end of the week, this just helps me to remember to do it!

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser - This is just a great daily moisturiser which isn't heavy on the skin but leaves your skin feeling refreshed.

Young Skin Matt Finish Moisturiser - I picked up this moisturiser from ASDA and it was super cheap just because I was intrigued by the matt finish. Also no matter what the adverts tell you, all moisturisers work. As long as you are applying a moisturiser your skin will stay supple, the only reason to buy a more expensive product is because of personal preference for example smell or finish so personally I always opt for the cheap ones!

The reason I use a lot of Simple products is because I used to suffer with quite sensitive skin which I am only now growing out of. Also, they are great products which don't break the bank and I would recommend trying them if you haven't already.

And that's all folks, the ins and outs of my skincare routine. I hope this has been useful for some of you. Do you use any of these products or have better alternatives to share with me? Let me know in the comments below!

Take care ♥

October favourties

So October is over! It's getting colder and darker by the day so we've got to have a few favourites and treats to look forward to, on that note here are my October favourites...

Firstly, Galaxy Hot Chocolate. This one is pretty self explanatory, it's getting colder and this hot chocolate is a delicious treat for a cosy night in. The frothy top is also a nice touch and this one seems to dissolve better than any other hot chocolate I've had which is a bonus too.

Another must for this time of year particularly is a great candle. This Yankee Candle in Black Plum Blossom smells absolutely gorgeous, I spent ages in the Yankee shop trying to choose and I just couldn't stop smelling this one so it had to be the one! The scent also lasts in the room leaving your house smelling lush even after blowing out the candle.

Moving more towards beauty products I finally bought the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush recently and it was such a good purchase; it's just the perfect shape for applying and buffing in foundation to leave a flawless finish. I'm a big fan of this one!

I've also been wanting to purchase Tanya Burr Nail Varnish in Little Duck for a while now and finally picked it up the other week and I was not disappointed. This is purely personal choice but the colour is gorgeous and very close to my absolute favourite colour of all time. It doesn't last particularly well but I fell in love with the colour so having to reapply more often isn't an issue for me. Also I love the name but that is totally irrelevant!

If you had a look at my Lip balm showdown blog post you would have seen that I'm a big fan of this EOS lip balm in Strawberry Sorbet. It just does everything that you would want from a lip balm! I wont repeat everything I've already said in case you read it but for more details check out my last blog post. 

Finally a bit of cute organisation! I was looking for a little tray or something to keep my bobby pins in so I don't keep losing them and when I came across this Teapot Tea Bag Rest in ASDA I thought it would be perfect and at only £1 you really can't go wrong. After picking up the little teapot I saw the Pink Tea Cup and Saucer for only £2.50 and thought it would be a perfect addition to hold cotton buds and cotton pads. This was also super cheap and much cheaper than it would have been buying something that was actually made for organisation, so I think this one was a bit of a winner!

What are your October favourties? Do you have any of these items and are you loving them as much as I am? Let me know in the comments.

Take care ♥